You’ve booked the date. ✔

You’ve tuned up the car and reserved your room ✔

Now, it’s time to pack! If you’ve asked google:

“What Should I Pack for the Beach?”

or

“List of items for Beach trip”

or even if you’ve asked Siri for “Packing List for Beach” …you are not alone.  It’s a normal response for Spring Break or any beach trip and it’s okay to ask Google or Siri. What’s not on the list are common items you will pack anyway, such as hygiene, everyday clothes, etc.

On my first trip, I searched for lists too and found that none of them fully prepared me. Now that there are many trips of experience under my belt, here is the ChrissyAdventures great list of what to pack for the beach.

1. 1. 2 types of Sunscreen – this one is obvious, right? It should be. You’ll need SPF 45 or greater sweat resistant spray or lotion. I highly recommend a sweat resistant formula because sweat is salty. The ocean breeze, sand & water are salty.  Therefore it really does last longer under the Sun’s unforgiving rays. The second type sunscreen you need is for your face. Facial sunscreens are not like body sunscreens. Facial sunscreen prevents the brown sunning that will leave you with a mustache and a second set of eye brows. You think I’m kidding? Nope!! One of my favorites is Cotz. It’s effective, inexpensive and practical. It’s also typically available at almost every retail store.
   2. A sweatshirt – say what?!? We are packing a sweatshirt to go to the Beach??? Girl…are you crazy?Oh yes, yes…you will wish you had one. Pack your most favorite comfortable one too.

      The sun will gently kiss your skin during the day (or scorch it). When the sun sets, you’ll begin to chill as your thoroughly baked skin puts off radiant heat. It’s also really great to have one for night walks on the beach and morning sunrises.

   3. 2 pair of Sunglasses – The sand is beautiful, soft and…well, it’s abrassive. Sunglasses that visit the beach tend to get scratched up badly. Plus the ocean is a sneaky character. It will act like it’s at one level for a while, until you trust it. Then, when you least expect it, it will throw itself 1/2 way up the beach and carry off your things.  You’ll want one pair for the beach and a separate pair for driving or just keeping the sun out of your eyes while you look stunning, great, beautiful, etc.
   4. Beach towel – A quick-dry towel is best for the beach to dry you off. The quick dry type towel dries much quicker back in your hotel room or house. It’s always best to head back to the beach with a dry towel.
   5. Beach blanket – the thinner beach blankets don’t hold onto the sand like the thicker ones do. More sand stuck in your blanket = heavier to carry and stinky as it dries out.
   6. Head band – At some point having a nice wide adjustable head band will come in handy at the beach. It can be used to divert water away from your ears, protect your hair, and keep the sun out of your eyes as you sunbathe.
   7. Bathing suits – two… You need two suits! One that ties behind your neck for swimming in the ocean and one for those days when you sunbathe more and swim less. Plus, your suit will not completely dry out in between visits to the beach. Always start off with a dry suit when you head to the sand. Wearing a bathing suit that’s slightly wet in the bottom area can easily result in a Monistat moment.
   8. CoverUp – It’s a great idea to take along also. They come in handy when you least expect it.

1. Belly Jelly – if you’ve never heard of this stuff all you have to do is google it. Sand is abrasive and can lead to a heat rash. The sun is hot and friction from swimming, surfing or boarding can cause a heat rash. I have tried multiple products to soothe the kids rashes over time and this stuff is the bomb! It works so well on all rashes, I keep it on hand year round!
2. Triple Antibiotic Ointment – The brand doesn’t matter. Always bring it along because those beautiful shells we all like to pick up get crushed by waves, stomped by foot and buried slightly under the sand. They are sharp and can leave you limping and make your trip not as enjoyable. If you step on a shell, rub a tad of ointment on before bed and you should be fine the next morning. Also it’s a great idea to take hand sanitizer. Birdie hydrating hand sanitizer doesn’t look, smell or feel like hand sanitizer. 24 hours of hydration in an adorable bird container.
3. Shoes –  You will probably pack a stunning pair of sandals for your trip, but also include some good walking shoes. If your feet have been stuck in dress shoes or work shoes all year, those sandals or flip flops will feel great on the first day. Afterwards your arches may begin to ache. These for that transition from regular everyday shoes to your vacation sandals, they last for years and clean easily.
4. Baby wipes – showering will remove about 98% of sand off your body. The other 2% is stuck in strange places like your hair line, belly button, behind or in your ear and between your toes. Baby wipes are soft yet very collective of the stray sand the shower didn’t remove.

Everything else you have probably already thought about. Don’t wait to buy sunscreen and other items at the beach. Sunscreen is priced much better in places not far from the beach.

Did I forget something? Let me know below!